| Recent studies have shown that Americans are | | | | grabbing a quick bite at your desk for lunch, splurge |
| spending less money on necessities than ever before. | | | | on good coffee but take a bag lunch to work. Tell |
| Yet, more Americans are also in debt. The unspoken | | | | yourself that you can have either that double |
| fact that makes both those statements true is that | | | | caramel, half-fat cappuccino or a takeout lunch, but |
| Americans are spending more and more money on | | | | not both. Make notes on how much you save by |
| luxury items. Experts recommend creating a budget | | | | choosing one over the other. |
| and sticking to it to avoid debt, but most people find | | | | Round up. After you make a purchase using your |
| that difficult to do without feeling deprived. However, | | | | debit card, when you mark it down in your |
| there are a few things that you do quite painlessly to | | | | checkbook, round the figure up to the next dollar. At |
| stay within set spending limits. | | | | the end of the month, transfer the difference you've |
| Pay cash. That's right; people spend more when they | | | | accumulated to your savings account or use it to pay |
| use plastic, whether it's debit or credit. Experts | | | | off high interest debt. Some banks are beginning to |
| surmise that people simply don't pay as much | | | | offer this service automatically. You can use the |
| attention to totals as they do when they have to | | | | same practice with your change. Throw it in a jar and |
| count out actual money. But resist the temptation to | | | | each month, deposit it in the bank. |
| withdraw funds $20 at a time. You'll rack up huge | | | | Balance your budget. Once you've established your |
| ATM fees. Instead, withdraw a set amount each | | | | budget, be sure to check it on a monthly or |
| week and see if you can make it last. | | | | preferably weekly basis. Personal financial |
| Practice mindful spending. Rather than keep an exact | | | | management software typically contains a budget |
| record of every penny you spend for a month (as | | | | feature that will easily let you compare what you've |
| many financial experts recommend) spend your time | | | | spent to what you've budgeted. At the end of each |
| thinking about which of the things you buy on a daily | | | | day, throw your receipts in a basket and set a time |
| or weekly basis are most important to you. For | | | | once a week to balance your budget. |
| example, if you love coffee but are in the habit of | | | | |